EPSON Stylus Photo RX500

Cleaning the Print Head

If your printouts are unexpectedly light, colors are not correct, or dots or lines are missing, you may need to clean the print head. This unclogs the nozzles so they can deliver ink properly. Print head cleaning uses ink, so clean it only if quality declines.

Note:

You can also use a printer software utility to clean the print head right from your computer. Select the ? or Help button on your printer settings window for instructions.

1.Make sure your Stylus Photo RX500 is turned on but not printing, and the ! error light is off. (If the ! error light is flashing or on, you may need to replace an ink cartridge; see the next section.)

2.Press the Setup button to enter setup mode. You see this LCD screen:

Press this

1.Ink levels

button

Press the Color

 

3.Press the top left button (next to Ink levels) until you see Head Cleaning on the LCD screen.

4.Press the x Color button.

Cleaning takes about 30 seconds, during which Head Cleaning appears on the LCD screen.

Caution:

Never turn off the Stylus Photo RX500 while the message Head Cleaning appears on the LCD screen, unless it hasn’t moved or made noise for more than 5 minutes.

5.When you again see the LCD screen shown below, run a nozzle check to confirm the print head nozzles are clean.

Press this

3.Head Cleaning

button

Press the Color

 

Make sure letter-size plain paper is loaded. Press the top left button until you see Nozzle Check on the LCD screen, then press the x Color button. The nozzle check pattern prints.

6.Examine the printed nozzle check pattern. It should look like this:

❏If it looks correct, you’re done.

❏If any dots or lines are missing, clean the print head again; see the previous steps for instructions.

If you don’t see any improvement after cleaning three or four times, see the “Solving Problems” section of your online Reference Guide. You can also turn the Stylus Photo RX500 off and wait overnight—this allows any dried ink to soften—and then try cleaning the print head again.

Caution: When you don’t turn on your Stylus Photo RX500 for a long time, the print quality can decline. It’s a good idea to turn it on at least once a month to maintain good print quality.

Replacing an Ink Cartridge

If the ! error light on the EPSON Stylus Photo RX500 is flashing, or you see an ink cartridge error message on the LCD screen or computer monitor, you need to replace one of the cartridges. When a cartridge is more than six months old, you may need to replace it if printouts don’t look their best. If the quality doesn’t improve after cleaning and aligning the print head, you can replace the cartridge.

Use these ink cartridges within six months of installing them and before the expiration date on the package:

❏Black: T048120

❏Cyan: T048220

❏Magenta: T048320

❏Yellow: T048420

❏Light Cyan: T048520

❏Light Magenta: T048620

Caution:

To ensure good results, use genuine EPSON ink cartridges and do not refill them. Other products may cause damage to your EPSON Stylus Photo RX500 not covered by EPSON’s warranty.

When you need new ink cartridges, contact your dealer. You can also call the EPSON Store at (800) 873-7766, or visit www.epsonstore.com (U.S. sales only). In Canada, please call (800) 463-7766 for dealer referral.

Warning:

Keep ink cartridges out of the reach of children. If ink gets on your hands, wash them thoroughly with soap and water. If ink gets in your eyes, flush them thoroughly with water.

10/03

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